Every jewelry design tells a story. A simple bracelet might reflect the skill of the crafter or their refined grasp on color theory. A necklace may be strung with numerically significant beads. There is a narrative in every design. Today we are looking at a true storyteller. Tatiana Van Iten doesn't just simply string a tale with beading wire - she creates high adventure. Tatiana's masterful works will transport you to a world of epic fantasy and romance. Her necklaces are legendary achievements. Every bead sings a song of swashbucklers, wizards, and lion-hearted heroes. Come witness the spell casting creations from one of our favorite jewelry artists!
Nearly every great fairy tale begins with the phrase, 'Once upon a time...' Those four little words hold galaxies of imagination. They stir nostalgia. They create a portal of dreams and embiggen our sense of wonder. We know we are about to embark on a journey that will transform and change us. They herald a larger or secret world that we may not even be aware of and by the time we reach the end, we become better for having lived the adventure. Tatiana breaths these words into each of her artistic creations. Every gorgeous piece of jewelry she creates will stir a sense of magic. Prepare to meet this amazing artist and become enchanted by her work.
A Song Of Dragons And Fantastic Worlds - Meet Jewelry Designer Tatiana Van Iten
Meet Jewelry Designer Tatiana Van Iten
Once upon a time there was a little girl in Russia who loved fairy tales. Best of all she loved the stories about the big three-headed dragon Zmey Gorynych. The girl was so jealous because he had three heads - it means three necks – and thus he could wear three different necklaces at the same time! That was me.
Three Musketeers
I started beading a long time ago. My grandmother taught me how to make bead embroidery, and I helped her to repair small religious objects for the underground church in the former Soviet Union. The old seed beads were so small and delicate that I would have to make a stitch, unthread the needle, thread the bead onto the thread, and then rethread the needle to complete the stitch. Because my grandmother could not do this work herself -- her big fingers could not feel such tiny beads -- she just sat down next to me watching and reading to me stories from the Bible. My grandmother also taught me how to spin yarn and knit, and my mother taught me how to sew and embroider.
Russian Folk Songs
I graduated from Leningrad State University with a Master of Arts degree in photojournalism. Thirty-seven years ago I married an American citizen and moved to the United States.
The Master And Margarita
All my conscious life I have been a photographer. For many years I had been filling an album with interesting photographs, taken in various parts of the world during trips with my husband, Heyo Van Iten. Then I decided to strengthen the feelings that came to me as I looked at them, and I started making my beadworks based on the color combinations, textures and configuration of subjects in my photographs. I also tried to convey the fleeting impression that appeared at the moment I pressed the shutter button of my camera. A few years ago, I published my first book with pictures, jewelry and stories - ''Book of Inspirations''.
Urami Bushi
I make most of my necklaces free-hand, with no pattern, and each of them is unique. I use a wide variety of materials, including very small (up to size 24) seed beads, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, glass and wooden beads, leather, feathers, gemstones and fossil specimens (range from 10,000 to 400 million years old), and practically everything I can find. Because most of my necklaces are big and heavy, I prefer to use Soft Flex and Soft Touch wire for connecting the details.
Takarabune
I have participated in many exhibits. My beadwork has been on runways and in shows all across the country and also in Paris (France), Hiroshima (Japan), Kiev (Ukraine) and Hamburg (Germany). Today, some of my award-winning jewelry collections and photographs are also on permanent display in the Science Museum at Hanover College.
The Last Of The Mohicans
I still love dragons. Maybe that is the reason I love “Game of Thrones”. I have a big collection (20 pieces!) based on the “A Song of Ice and Fire” story. But my biggest collection of works is based on popular books, movies and songs.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Tatiana Loves Soft Flex And Soft Touch Beading Wire
It's a small world when you attend or work at bead shows. In the past, we often ran into Tatiana at beading events and we were always amazed at the intricate art works she had designed.
Sara filmed this testimonial on June 4, 2009. Phone camera technology wasn't quite where it is now! Tatiana was attending the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, WI. She had created and sold hundreds of intricately beaded necklaces. She told us she loved using Soft Flex and Soft Touch Beading Wire in her jewelry designs. We are honored that she chose our beading wire for her designs!
A Song Of Ice And Fire: A Game Of Thrones Inspired Jewelry
A Song Of Fire And Ice
A Song of Ice and Fire is the name of the book series that became the show A Game of Thrones. This series walks the line between high and low fantasy. High fantasy being tales of fantastical worlds, wizardry, and magics. Low fantasy being the more grounded tales that could be set in our own world, but with fantastic elements.
A Song Of Fire And Ice
A Song of Ice and Fire tells the epic story of generations of families competing for the throne and high seats of power. Some families have dark secrets and ulterior motives. Some families have noble intentions but their will to serve the greater good becomes a terrible weakness. Some families are great in their high castles and others are chaotically wicked and the very thing of nightmares. Which family will take the throne?
The Wind Of Winter Jewelry
One amazing thing A Game of Thrones and the book series does is it shows us how important it is to look at the big picture. The families in the story are all so focused on politics and relationships that they all fail to see the warnings that the world is about to change in sweeping ways. Winter is coming. This portent means that a cold darkness is going to claw it's way through the sunlit world the humans perceive as real. The boogeymen of the abyss, zombie White Walkers, are marching through the snow and making their way towards the human cities.
Lannister's Gold
A Game of Thrones famously tells the tale of the rebirth of dragons. When the story begins, dragons have been dead for one hundred and fifty years. Their bones and fossilized eggs are all that remain. The passage of time has almost turned them into mythic creatures. The population of the series almost disbelieves they had even existed. We witness the moment when a main character hatches a dragonling and it's birth cry echoes in the quiet. Legend becomes real again.
The Young Wizards Of Hogwarts: Harry Potter Inspired Jewelry
Harry Potter is a book series that became sensational blockbuster movies. This series takes place in a world like ours. Harry, a young boy with aspirations to be a great wizard, lives in a fictional suburb in the county of Surrey. He lives and ordinary life with an ordinary family in an ordinary house. The call to adventure begins when Harry finds a portal at Platform 9 3/4 that takes him to a school of witchcraft.
The Romance Of The High Seas: Pirates Of The Caribbean Inspired Jewelry
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!
The ocean beckons. The water creeping forward and then receding. The waves are whispering for us to follow. The cold aquamarine surface of the water promises adventure and travel beyond the stagnant life at home. Come sail away and be privy to the great mysteries of the world. You will cross swords with some of the most haunted crews on the seven seas. Find alliances with valiant pirates like Jack Sparrow. Flee the supernatural specter of Davy Jones and the kingdom of the drowned.
The Opulence Of The Jazz Age: The Great Gatsby Inspired Jewelry
The Great Gatsby is a tale of romantic longing, lush parties, self made millionaires and jealousy. The novel takes place during the American Jazz Age in the 1920s. The narrator of the tale recounts his meeting with an enigmatic young man that longs to be with a woman named Daisy. We witness the magnificence of the wealthy and the sub culture of the flappers. This tale is a wonderful snapshot of the decadent years before the Great Depression and World War II.
The Mother Of American Modernism: Georgia O’Keeffe Inspired Jewelry
Georgia O'Keeffe was one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. She captured a unique vision of America as she painted the towers of the New York skyline, the lush flora of Hawai'i, and - notably - the ghostly icons of the Southwest.
An Exotic Collection Of Themed Jewelry From Songs, Shows, And Popular Culture
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Outlander
Pushkin’s Fairy Tales 'Lukomorye'
Jewelry inspired by Chinese TV Series 'Doctor Cutie'
Smoke On The Water
Smoke On The Water
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Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com